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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044261">Seeds &amp; Sweet Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illubuu/pseuds/Illubuu'>Illubuu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dungeons and Dragons [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dungeons &amp; Dragons (Roleplaying Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Baking, Cooking, F/M, Fluff, Pie Time!!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:55:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,141</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illubuu/pseuds/Illubuu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alcor and Xybis bake some pies!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Xycor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dungeons and Dragons [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Seeds &amp; Sweet Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Xybis had said the cornflower seeds would be difficult to find, even in a city as large as Mal’allave, but Alcor hadn’t figured it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> difficult. He had stopped by at least seven shops now and not a single one had the seeds - worse even, the last four had actually wished him luck in his search. One had even said he’d pray for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mid-afternoon sun was mild, at least. Alcor knew his robes would have him sweltering if it were any hotter. He tried to lean into the breeze whenever he caught it walking past the isles of market stalls. The cornflower seeds were supposed to be native to this area - perhaps a little farther south than the capital - but still... they should have at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them </span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhere.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor’s eyes scanned the stalls, looking for anyone that sold cooking supplies in any form. He saw just about every other kind of seed </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> than the ones he wanted. However, in his search, his nose led him to a small stall selling all sorts of assorted meats. The aroma was mouthwatering enough, but Alcor hadn’t eaten and his stomach growled. He looked up and down the selection, noticing a particularly bright sign above the meat skewers reading HOT.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If there was anything Xybis loved more than creating art, it was eating spicy food. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Flavor is like art,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she would say. </span>
  <em>
    <span>An expression of something, just with a different medium</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And then she would try to get him to taste whatever dish she had gotten... often resulting in Alcor having to chug three cups of water just to be able to speak. Not that he minded though, he enjoyed getting to experience the world through her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t until after he met Xybis and truly began to understand her that Alcor realized just how much he had missed in his pursuit to understand his past. He had missed the beauty of sunsets and the nightly chorus of the forest. He failed to notice the wondrous change in seasons, how cities could turn to completely different places overnight with just a thin layer of snow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was why he liked to watch Xybis paint. How she saw color, how she saw the </span>
  <em>
    <span>world</span>
  </em>
  <span>, was so different than his. He was lucky to have her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor plucked one of the skewers from the containers. “How much?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“15 and 1.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed another skewer - from a less brightly labelled set of MILD - and paid the vendor. Sure, Alcor had come out to find an ingredient so he and Xybis could </span>
  <em>
    <span>make</span>
  </em>
  <span> dinner, but seeing that he had completely failed to find what he set out for, a meat skewer would have to do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He absently chewed on his as he walked back, craning his neck up to see the tops of some of the larger buildings. It was thanks to Eafraen that he and Xybis had been able to stay in such a beautiful part of town. He had given them both free rein to choose where they wanted to stay, and Xybis had insisted on somewhere close to the forest. She wanted a view of nature that she could paint as it changed. Somewhere she could hear the morning songbirds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor pushed open the front door and was met with the warm, welcoming smell of cinnamon. He saw Xybis hunched over the stove, so completely engrossed in her work that she hadn’t even heard him come in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He set his bag onto the table and moved to catch her peripheral vision. “Hey, I’m back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his best efforts, Xybis startled. She stumbled backwards, her snout covered in a fine powder. She huffed and some of the powder proofed out in front of her. "Any luck?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor shook his head. "Not at all. But I thought I might make it up to you with this." He extended the skewer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis raised a brow at first, but then let her face split into a grin. She took it and raised it to her nose, taking in an appreciative sniff. "Where did you get this?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Small stall in town. I felt bad not finding those seeds so I thought..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis gave Alcor a small kiss on the forehead. "You didn't have to, but," she popped the entire top piece of the skewer in her mouth "I'm very glad you did."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor took a smaller bite of his, chewing thoughtfully. He saw that the glass bread pans on the stove had been replaced with pie dishes. It was a large skillet on the stove that was giving off that heavenly smell. He nodded towards them. "No more bread?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mm!" Xybis quickly finished off the rest of her skewer in a single bite and set the stick on the counter. She spun - nearly swiping Alcor with her tail - and plucked the wooden spoon up. "We had all the stuff for pie, so I thought we would make those </span>
  <em>
    <span>first</span>
  </em>
  <span> and then the bread. If you were able to find the seeds."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I tried my best-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know you did," Xybis answered with a smile. "Besides, pies are more fun anyway! We can make cute little designs on the top! I even made a few to start, look!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor watched Xybis entire demeanor light up as she spread out the small selection of pie dough. There were leaves and flowers and trees, each intricately put together. And as entranced as he was by her artwork, he couldn't help but steal glances at smiling Xybis' face. Her tail behind them </span>
  <em>
    <span>swish swished</span>
  </em>
  <span> against the hardwood floor in excitement. "I'd love to be able to make something that would even compare to these."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis bumped her shoulder into his. "Stop it, I'm sure whatever you make will be wonderful."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nothing like these."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I actually tried to make one of you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor blinked. "You did?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis glances at the floor and chuckled softly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Yeah..."</span>
  </em>
  <span> She moved back to the counter and held up a final piece of dough. "It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor nearly spit. "No, it's..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Awful!" Xybis herself started to laugh. "You look like a goblin!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mmm." Alcor tilted his head to the left. Then to the right. "Remember that small gremlin man who gave us all those gifts from his sack?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my God!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That is what it looks like."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis was in hysterics now, tears rolling down her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor couldn't help but find her laughter contagious. She was shaking so much the piece of dough in her hands was being wiggled and danced all over the place. Her whiskers flailed and, after a particularly strong snort, a small poof of smoke came out of her nose. Alcor could barely contain his bursting heart. He was so happy to see her so relaxed, so unworried about the world around her. She no longer had burdens she felt she had to carry on her own. She had him and they had each other. If this was all their future held in store, Alcor was content.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He reached to take the dough-Alcor from her and caught sight of the steam rising from the skillet still on the stove. "Oh, what about the-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"PIE!!" Xybis shouted. She dropped the dough-cor and spun, quickly moving the pan from the heat. Her tail glanced Alcor's legs. She grabbed her spoon and poked at it, breathing a sigh of relief. "It's safe."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is it ready to put into the dishes?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We have to let it cool into a jelly, then it can go in." Xybis bent over to grab doguh-cor. She wiggled him. "Besides, we have to make our designs!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor helped move a new roll of dough onto the table. They had quite a lot of it, but he had completely forgotten to put down any flour before unrolling it, leaving half of the dough stuck and unable to be moved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No worries!" Xybis sang, squeezing his arm reassuringly. "We can just ball it up and save it for later. We didn't need that much dough anyway."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor found he didn't quite have the precision to make the intricate pieces that Xybis could, so he stuck with the simpler designs. The symbol of the Aether. A magic staff. The sun. They turned out much better than he thought they would and Xybis was absolutely elated. She carefully collected them and laid them on top of the pies, now full of the fruity blend that had been cooking earlier. All of his sat on one pie, and all of hers on another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now for the real test,” Xybis said. She picked up both pies and nodded for Alcor to open the oven. “To see if they stay recognizable when cooked.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As it turned out, most of them did - a majority of them being Xybis’. Hers came out of the oven looking perfectly browned, the corners of her small leaves curled upwards and golden. Alcor’s staff looked more like a puddle and his sun had turned into an amorphous blob. He smiled, pointing to the symbol of the Aether.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least one of them stayed recognizable,” he laughed. “Out of all of them, I’m glad it was this one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This still kinda looks like a staff!” Xybis challenged. She pointed to the long puddle and paused. “Okay, maybe not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> staff, but you could make the argument.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor moved to the cabinets and pulled out two plates. They had been gifts from Ethnir during their housewarming party - a set of lovely off-white plates and bowls with small floral designs hand painted on each. Quibb had apparently picked them out. They fit incredibly well with the decor that Xybis had put up in the kitchen - if anyone shared Xybis’ eye for color, it was Quibb. He handed a plate over to Xybis.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have to let these cool,” she replied, accepting the plate. “They’re piping hot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s never stopped you before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis’ face broke out into a grin. “Alright, but it’s your funeral. Which shall we cut up first?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yours is much prettier to look at. Cut mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh hush, yours is lovely.” Xybis reached for the knife block, then cut a slice from the pie. The inside steamed up, filling the room with the aroma of spices and fruit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor’s mouth watered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis lifted the slice and quickly dropped it onto Alcor’s plate before it could drip any onto the floor. She eyed it, then Alcor. “Sorry, the first slice is always the worst.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor’s slice looked more like a fruit crumble than a pie, but he didn’t care. It smelled divine, and anything Xybis cooked tasted heavenly anyway. He watched her give herself a slice and then they both moved to the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was still quite messy from the earlier cooking endeavor. Alcor felt a slight pang of guilt, remembering how he hadn’t been able to find those seeds. He shook the thought from his head and settled in next to Xybis. She grabbed them both forks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First bite together?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor nodded. He hoisted a good amount of crust and filling onto his fork and waited for Xybis to do the same. And then, in sync, they each took a bite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor had only a moment to enjoy the flavor before his mouth was aflame. Hot! Hot! “Hot!” he shouted, trying to move the food around in his mouth enough to keep it from burning his cheeks. He finally swallowed the bite, feeling it burn its way down and then warm his stomach. He let out a loud gasp. “Hot...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you...” Xybis said, waving her fork around. “Piping hot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor waved his hand in front of his face - just a little magic to settle the burn. He relaxed and stared at his plate. “That was a terrible idea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes it was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it was delicious.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor looked up across the table. The day had passed without him noticing. In the low light, Xybis looked almost ethereal. He would never get enough of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Xybis asked. “Do I have something on my face?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alcor smiled. “Just the usual.” He reached out a hand across the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis took it without a moment’s hesitation. She squeezed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for this,” Alcor said. He squeezed back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, anytime.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stayed like that a while longer. The only sound in the room was of the crickets outside as the sun started to descend towards the horizon and the few evening birds singing their nightly melodies sitting out amongst the trees. Alcor, without letting go of Xybis’ hand, picked up his fork and took another bite of his pie. This time, without the blinding hot, he was actually able to appreciate the flavors. He hummed happily. “You’re wonderful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xybis smiled, but quietly tsked him. “You’re just saying that to get out of having to do the dishes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
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